The present invention relates to a housing for a refrigeration device, comprising an insulating layer which is surrounded by a strong external skin.
Conventionally, the housing of a refrigeration devices comprises an interior container and an external skin between which an insulating layer of thermally insulating foam material is arranged. In the case of free-standing refrigeration devices, the external skin is usually composed of sheet metal plates.
Free-standing refrigeration devices are known in the prior art which can be placed adjacent to one another and joined to one another (side-by-side devices). By this means, a large amount of cooling or freezing space is provided without a single device of the relevant size having to be produced and assembled. A single device of this type would have, aside from large dimensions, additionally a substantial weight, such that transportation would be made significantly more difficult.
A side-by-side arrangement is favorable also in terms of the energy consumption of the refrigeration devices, since very little heat can penetrate into the interior space by way of the mutually adjacent side walls of the devices. The mutually adjacent side walls cool down greatly during operation, so that, in places, even their external skin temperature closely approaches that in the interior of the devices. Even the external skin of adjacent walls can cool down so severely in places that airborne moisture condenses on them.
In order to prevent condensation of airborne moisture on the edge of the external skin which is connected to the edge of the interior container, it is known to lay a loop of pipe which is fed with warm, condensed coolant, or an electric heating apparatus along this edge. A corresponding solution is also conceivable for the edge regions of mutually opposing walls of two side-by-side housings, although it would be unfavorable from the standpoint of the energy consumption of the devices and would also be complex and expensive, since if it is not known in advance on which side of a refrigeration device housing a second device is to be placed, a suitable heating apparatus would have to be provided on both sides.
The high thermal conductivity of the metal external skin also favors the penetration of heat between the mutually facing walls of two side-by-side devices. The energy consumption of side-by-side devices is therefore greater than that of a combination device of comparable size and quality of insulation.